Contents

Biography

By 1995, Shanks had a portrait hung at the Hogwarts Library, guarding a shortcut to the fourth-floor corridor, under the password "No news is good news". Said shortcut was reserved to the staff only.
When Harry Potter, who was being highly discredited by the Daily Prophet at the time, asked if he could use this secret passageway, Shanks made an exception for the student was constantly featured on the paper. The portrait agreed to give the student the password in exchange for the headline of the day ("TRAGIC DEMISE OF MINISTRY OF MAGIC WORKER", concerning Broderick Bode's assassination).[3]

Shanks's portrait was kept at the same place at the Library, but hiding a different shortcut, leading to the Grand Staircase. The new password was "Happy Headlines".[5] The same shortcut could also lead to the second-floor corridor[6]. When Shanks heard Harry Potter talking to Hermione Granger about Draco Malfoy's mysterious endeavours at the seventh floor, he gladly told him the new password in order to help him on what he deemed a "big scoop".[5]

Personality and traits

Temeritus Shanks was quite a naive wizard, believing everything he read on the papers.[3] Despite this he was brave, speaking Lord Voldemort's name out loud when he was at large.[5] He would gladly help students in matters he deemed to be sensational, to the point of giving his password to them despite the passageway being reserved only to the staff.[5]

Behind the scenes

Shanks may have passed away sometime prior to 1991 as many portraits hung at Hogwarts Castle depict deceased individuals.